The vessel, identified as the Arctic Metagaz, was reportedly destroyed around 4 a.m. local time between Malta and Libya. Shipping and maritime security sources told Reuters the tanker was ablaze, though no official distress signal had been recorded. If confirmed, the destruction of the Arctic Metagaz could mark the first known instance of an LNG carrier being blown up in a conflict-related attack. Authorities said environmental damage was unlikely, as the vessel was believed to be carrying LNG rather than crude oil. The incident marks a sharp escalation in maritime risk across the Mediterranean, a region increasingly touched by the widening conflict.

Source: Libya Today March 04, 2026 07:59 UTC